Amendments and Mulches

McDonnell Nursery has a garden amendment for your every need; whether it’s for planting a new container, getting your garden ready for the winter, or protecting your plants from the cold.

What is an Amendment?

Amendments are materials that, when mixed into the existing soil, work to improve its condition and physical properties (increase water retention, drainage, aeration, etc.) making it more beneficial to plant root development and growth.

• Compost is an amendment that can be thoroughly mixed into the existing soil. It can be a blend of organic materials (peat moss, manure, wood ash, for example) and may sometimes include inorganic components (perlite, vermiculite, sand, for example), or a combination of the two.
• In the past, manure and peat moss were the standard for compost. Now it has been found that plants benefit with a wider blend of components, but you will find that most composts still include both peat and manure in their mixes. Today there are environmental concerns with some sources of peat, so using smaller quantities in conjunction with other materials still provides its beneficial qualities without relying so heavily on its use.

We carry many amendments for your every need.

What is Mulch?

Mulch is not mixed into the soil, but rather spread on the surface to promote water retention, weed suppression and moderating soil temperature (helping to keep cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter). Mulch is also used for an attractive, finished look to garden beds.

• Some materials used for mulch are known as top dress, or removable mulch.   This is primarily used for weed suppression and winter protection, then removed after it has served its purpose.  This type includes larger particle material like straw, leaves and bark products. They include products such as bark nuggets, bark and cocoa mulch
• Non-removable mulch is compost or other materials may be applied at any time of the year. As time passes after application, non-removable mulch is worked into the soil or gradually incorporated by the activity of weather and worms (which then makes it also an amendment) and other soil dwellers.  We carry many kinds of compost.